The Link Between Early Life Nutrition and Cancer Risk

Traditionally, cancer has been considered a disease caused by genetic alterations. However, there is growing evidence that the environment, particularly a person’s early life environment, can influence cancer risk. The mechanism by which the environment has been suggested to influence cancer risk is through the altered epigenetic regulation of genes. Epigenetic processes, which include DNA methylation, induce stable changes in gene expression without altering the gene sequence. A number of environmental factors, including nutrition, have been shown to alter the epigenome, leading to long term changes in gene expression and an altered susceptibility to disease. Using evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies, this review will discuss the hypothesis that changes in diet during early development can lead to an altered susceptibility to cancer as the result of modified epigenetic regulation of genes.